Corundum-separator.



No. 655,|25. Patented July 3|, i900.

.1. B. sTALcuP.

conuunum sEPAnATon.

(Application led July 24, 1899.)

(N0 Modal.)

ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JESSE n. s'rALcUP, or wAYNEsvILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

coRUNDuM-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters raient No.` 655,125, dated July 31, 1900.

To all whom, it may concern.:

Eeakuown than, JESSEB. stuwen?. ein? zen of the United States, residing at Waynesy ville, in the county of Haywood and State ofl North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Corundum-Separator, of which the 'fol-V matically, while the desirable corundum and ore will be retained for discharge at will from the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for regulating the hydraulic pressure within the bowl or receptacle and to vary the speed of the agitation-producing mechanism to render the machine applicable e to the treatment of dierent sizes or grades of crushed material.

With these ends in view the invention con-` sists in the novel combination of devices and in the construction,arrangement,and adapta'- tion of parts,'as will be hereinafter fully de` i scribed and claimed.

Toenable others to understand the inven` tion, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying rlrawings,4 forming a part of this specification, and in which-e Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of a corundum-separator constructed in accord-` -the vertical axis of the bowl.

,receptacle is circular in cross-section at all points in its height; but the receptacle is tapered from its broad open upper end to provide the contracted lower part 11. This contracted part of the bowl-shaped receptacle terminates in a neck. 12 of small diameter,"

' pipe 16 to the contracted'neck 12. One branch of thisT-coupling 14 is united to the bowlneck 12 by a union-sleeve 15, the latter having threaded engagement with said coupling and the neck. The water-pressure pipe 13 has threaded engagement with a horizontal branch ofthe coupling. The ore-discharge pipe 16 has threaded engagement with another vertical branch of "the coupling, said pipe 16 being in vertical alinement with the union-sleeve 15 and the neck 12 of the bowl, whereby the axis of the pipe 16 is in the same vertical plane as the axis of the bowl for the purpose of permitting the heavy particles of corundum ore to gravitate through the neck l2 and the coupling, and thereby accumulating in thedischarge-pipe above the gateyalve -17 therein. The waterfpressure pipe 13 is provided with a gate-valve 18 at a point on one side of the coupling 14, said gate-valve adapted to be opened more or less for admitting the water in regulated volumes to the b'owl 10 and to regulate the pressure of water therein.

A19 designates a hopper which depends int-o and is supported within the bowl 10, said hopper arranged for its axis to be coincident with The hopper is preferably, although not essentially, conical in form, and it is arranged within the bowl to provide an intervening space 19n between the bowl and the hopper. The lower end of this hopper terminates above the converging wall of the bowl at the contracted portionll thereof to form a free entrance for the water between the bowl and the lower extremity of the hopper. One of the importantfeatures of my invention consists in making a hopper ingfbolts'23.

adjustable vertically within the bowl for the purpose of varying the space between the lower end of the hopper and the wall of the bowl, thereby regulating the volume of water which may iiow upwardly from the pipe '13' of these supporting-arms is shown by Fig; 2" as arranged equidistant in the annular chain?.

nel 19, each arm being curved or bent to extend across said channel. The upper ends of the arms are fastened securely in a suit-r able way, as at 2.1, to the hopper; but the lower ends of the arms are lbent to bear against the lower end vof the bowl, said bent ends of the arms having the longitudinal slots 22, adapted for the reception of the fasten- These bolts pass through the slotted ends of the arms and the bowl, so as to have their outer ends receive the nuts 24,

that bindagainst the bowl and clamp they arms 2O firmly thereto. The slots in the sup? porting-.arms 20provide for the desired vertical adjustment of the hopper, so as to raise or lower the same within the bowl. vation of `the hopper with the supportingarms enlarges the'space between the hopper andthe bowl to provide for a relativelyg free circulation of the water under pressure through the bowl and the channel 19a; but by lowering the hopper for its lower extrem-` ity to lie quite close to the inner surface of the bowl the space between the lower edge of the hOppeI and the bowl is reduced or contracted, thus restricting in a measure the eirculation or iiow of water, whereby the hopper may .be adj usted to regulate the pressurevof the water which flows through the channel ...with the .shaft to .rotate therewith.

19a and the hopper. The upper endof the hjopper protrudes above the broad open mouth ofthe bowl, said hopper having a laterallyextending discharge-spout 25, in which is lof cated a regnlatingvalve 26, the latter being preferably of the type known to the art as a gate-valve. y

Avertical shaft 27 is arranged centrally .within the hopper, said shaft being, supf- :ported in any suitable manner-as, for in.-

stance,-by a bearing 34. This shaft Acarries a bur or` deflect'or 28, VWhich is united or coupled to said shaft, preferably by a screw? threaded joint 29, thus making'the bur fast The bur has,A a at upper face, but the lower face thereof isV curved or converged, as at 30, so as to terminate in a point 31. This bur is substantially conical, and it is disposed within the contracted lower portiony 1l of the ybowl,.so as to lie below the lower extremity of thehopperl and for its pointed extremityv 31 to face the inlet-neck 12. The point 31 of the bur or defl/ector lies in the 'plane of the The ele-- vertical axis of the bowl and the .neck 12 thereof, and the curvedy surface 30 of this bur is thus presented tothe inflowing rising column of water for the purpose of changing the Vcourse thereof and making the watercurrent ow uniformly towardv the channel 19.,` between the. hopper and the bowl. The greatestv diameter of the bur is less than the signallerv diameter of the conical hopper at approximately-.conical surface facing toward they watelfinlet at the contracted lower end of thebowl, such burbeing arranged with krelation vto the hopper so as to leave the unobstructed space for the free flow from the hopper of the heavier particles of ore refuse and permitting the flow of water in an up- Ward direction into the hopper, and said bur being alsorevoluble within the bowl substantially below the hopper.y The rota.- tion of this bur impartsa whirlingmotion to, the 'ascending current of water and to the 4heavier particles of orerefnse which rise with the water through the annular channel yor space 19a, so that t-he ore is prevented from adhering to the, inner surface of the bowl, thus insuring its free discharge over the upperedge of the bowl. serves the important purpose of uniformly deiiecting the ascending hydraulic pressure admitted b y the centrally-disposed inlet tot ward and into the annular channel 19e, and thus the Vdelector establishes uniformity of hydraulic pressure in said'annular channel as wollY as importingtho whirling motion to the water-.pressuraas hereinbefore described. The shaft 2 7 carries a spiral c onveyer or screw 32, which is made fast with said shaft ata point abo-vo tho'bur 2.8-, Said spiral oonvoyer extends for a part of the 'length of thol shaft, So as. to operato in the hoppor, tho dif aineter of the conveyor being equal substann tially to the greatest diameter of the hun A cone-pulley 33 is made fast with a part of tho Shaft .27 above tho. howl, said pulley .adapted to have a driving-belt fi tted on Yeither of the .Storo thereof for giving variable spoed to the shaft, the bur, andthe convQyQI, a,.- .oordihg to tho grado or nature of 'tho' oro which is to be treated in the machine. The ore in a crushed condition may bev supplied to the hopper 1.9 in any Suitable Wasi AS one ,moans for feeding the oro tothe nwchiho I .have Shown o food-'spoot .35 by Fig, `1; but it is evident that equivalent ineens may be substituted for this, spoot.

The stationary bowl or receptacle l0 hasl the edge around its open mouth curved out- Tho hui' also` IOO IIO

wardly to form the lip 36, which facilitates1 the discharge of the heavy particles of foreign matter from the apparatus. Below the curved lip is arranged a collector-tray 37, which circumscribes the bowl or receptacle and is secured in a suitable way thereto, so as to be supported on said bowl. This collector-tray occupies a stationary position and extends above the curved lip of the bowl for the purpose of receiving the foreign matter therefrom, said tray having a dischargespout 38. (See Fig. 2.) The trayis inclined transversely across the bowl from the closed side thereof toward the spout, so as to facili-` tate the discharge of the foreign matter. The hopper 19 extends above the plane of the tray for its spout 35 to extend over the bowl and discharge into the spout 38 of the tray.

The operation is as follows: The ore in a crushed condition is supplied to the hopper by the spout 35, and the valve 18 is opened to permit the Huid under pressure to pass through the pipe 13, the coupling, and the neck into the bowl. The belt which drives the shaft 27 is adjusted on one of the steps of the cone-pulley to drive the bur and spiral conveyer at a proper speed, and the valve 18 is adjusted to admit water under the desired pressure, according to the nature of the ore to be treated. The water is deiiected by the bur, so as to traverse the channel 19a and the hopper 19 in an upward direction. The water is kept in a state of agitation by the rotation of the bur` and the spiral. These elements also serve a peculiar purpose in my apparatusthat is to say, the bur and spiral keep the water from blubbering, they promote the upward travel of the hydraulic current, and they also insure a uniform pressure throughout the separator. The lower strata of ore being of greater specic gravity is retained in the lower part of the bowl by regulating the hydraulic pressure. The mica and other light foreign mat-- ter are confined within the hopper 19 and are carried upward therethrough by the ascending current of water, so as to be discharged below the gate-valve 26, through the spout 25, and thence into the spout 3S of the tray. The quartz and heavier foreign matter rises with the current of water through the channel 19a and thence travels over the lip 36 into the tray 37 for discharge through the spout 38 thereof. The clean ore being of the highest specific gravity accumulates in the neck 12, the coupling, and the pipe 16; but the valve 17 may be opened for discharging the desirable ore through the pipe 16. The hopper 19 may be raised or lowered within the bowl to vary the space between its lower end.; and the contracted portion` 1l of the bowl, said hopper thus serving to assist in regulating the water-pressure in the upper part of the separator. The hydraulic pressure may be varied by adjustment of -the hopper and by opening the gate-valve 18 more or less,

and at the same time the pulley 33 may be driven at the desired speed, according to the size or nature of the crushed ore, whereby the entire apparatus is adapted to be adjusted for treating ore of different sizes or grades.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. In an ore-separator, the combination of a bowl having a water-inlet at its lower end, an open-ended hopper arranged within the bowl to form an intermediate water-passage,acon

said hopper, and an inverted conical deflector situated below the hopper, facing the waterinlet to the bowl and revoluble with said conveyer, the greatest diameter of the deflector being less than the internal diameterof the hopper, substantially as described.

3. In an ore-separator, the combination ofa tapering bowl having a water-inlet at its lower contracted extremity, an open-ended hopper within said bowl and forming therewith an intermediate channel, a tapering imperforate deiiector revolubly mounted contiguous to the open end ot' the hopper to leave an unobstru cted narrow space therebetween and presenting an upwardly and outwardly flaring surface to the water-inlet of the bowl, and a conveyer within said hopper and above the deiiector, substantially as'described.

4:. In an ore-separator, the combination of a bowl, having a water-inlet at the lower end, a bottomless, substantially-cylindrical hopper disposed in the bowl and vertically adjustable therein, for the purpose set forth, the revoluble agitator spiral or worm, centrally disposed in the bottomless hopper, "and an inverted conical defiector at the lower end of said agitator or worm, below the bottomless hopper, revoluble with said agitator or worm, and of less diameter than the hopper, all `ar ranged and adapted to operate, substantially as described.

5. In an ore-separator, the combination of a bowl havinga water-inlet at its lower end,

a hopper extending into said bowl,a discharge-` spoutextendinglaterally from the hopper and over the edge of the bowl, a valve supported in said spout and adjustable across the opening between the hopper chamber and the spout, an agitator mechanism within the hopper, and a collector-tray below the upper edge of the bowl, substantially as described.

6. In an ore-separator, the combination of a IOO botvl, su water-inlet thereto, a collector-tray- Ih testimony that I claim the foregoing as inclined to the axis of lthe bowl and situated lmy own I have hereto axed my signature in Id 4contiguous thereto, said tray having a dis-- `the preseneeof two Witnesses;

I charge-spout a, hopper provided with a dist i 5 charge-spoutwhioh overhangs the spout of l JESSE B', STALCUP" the tray, 'a valve in the spout of said hopper, Witnesses: and an agitator operable Within the hopper, Y R.`L. ALLEN, f substantially as described. ARCHER W. SEAVER. 

